New features unearthed in iPhone OS 4.0

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Having released the Beta 3 version of the new iPhone OS to developers, Apple quickly withdrew it from the Dev Center - possibly after realising that journalists and bloggers were able to get their hands on it. BGR was one of those who installed the Beta before it vanished, and has found some interesting extra features that were previously unknown...

First up, Apple is to finally let you transfer files to and from your iPhone, straight from your computer. You will be able, via iTunes, to drag and drop documents to and from your iPhone, as long as specific apps support the function.

The new multitasking interface has a new set of widgets that control music-access without you having to enter the orange iPod menu itself. A basic set of media controls are offered that allow you to play and skip tracks.

Unique to this latest Beta release (over others) is the method of shutting down multi-tasked apps that are running in the background. Just hold your finger on any of the apps and they all appear with a minus in the corner, allowing you to shut down whichever ones you don't need quickly and simply.

And finally, BGR has discovered that Apple has integrated an orientation lock function into the widget bar.

Of course, as these are features of a Beta release, they may not get past the development stage, but they all make sense. And we suspect that, with the Summertime launch rapidly approaching, they're very likely to make the final cut.